The Rotary Club of Bairnsdale Sunrise has raised $12,000 through its Bike Education Track Raffle, bringing the total raised for
the proposed Bike Education Facility to $63,000.
The raffle draw was held at the Bairnsdale Bowls Club on January 28, with three local winners and one Melbourne winner notified following the event. Community members and local groups attended in support of the fundraiser, which Rotary members described as a celebration of months of
ticket-selling effort.
Raffle prize sponsors included Kari Boys, The Giant Bike Shop owners Russell and Casey Brownlie, Opera By The Lake’s Andrea and Keith Ford, and Nicholson Winery’s Ken and Juliette Eckersley.
Rotary members said the proposed facility would improve safety for children and families while encouraging more people to ride to school and use the region’s bike trails. The project is supported by the East Gippsland Active Transport Group (EGAT), which already has trained bike education teachers working with local schools. EGAT representatives said they were pleased to see Sunrise Rotary progressing plans for a dedicated facility to expand those programs.
With a fundraising target of $150,000, the club’s next major initiative will be the sale of engraved brick pavers. Individual or family pavers can be purchased for $120, with larger pavers available in silver, gold, and platinum options for community groups or businesses.
The evening concluded with a presentation by former club member Bridie Croucher, who shared insights from her work in the United States on joint programs between the Australian and US Departments of Defence. Ms Croucher, currently based in Huntsville, Alabama, has held senior commercial and financial management roles on major defence programs, including the MH-60R helicopter, the P-8 Poseidon aircraft, and the Precision Strike Missile Program, offering attendees a unique perspective on international defence collaboration.
